Sen. Shaheen: ‘Not fair’ for military women to be denied access to abortion

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) on Thursday said women who are raped while serving in the military should be provided with abortion coverage like other federal employees.

She explained to Current TV host Joy Behar that women serving in the military do not have the same rights to reproductive services as civilians. Other Americans who receive health insurance from the federal government have the right to access affordable abortion care if they are sexually assaulted.

Shaheen said efforts over the past 20 years to address the issue had been unsuccessful.

“We hope this time people will understand that it’s really not fair. It’s not fair to the women who are in far parts of this world, who are on the battlefields of Afghanistan, serving far away from home. If they are the victims of a rape, they don’t have access to a safe abortion, and that really needs to change.”

A provision included in the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act provides women in the military with the right to access affordable abortion care. A similar amendment to the defense bill was blocked last year.

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